Becoming a Prankster
by Cheeky Slytherin Lass
Summary: After a plan to prove herself as a mischief maker backfires and leaves her stranded in the past, Roxanne has to rely on a familiar face to trust her enough to help her return home. Meanwhile, Freddy is left with the job of telling the adults that his sister is lost in time.


"It really is quite refreshing that you're so well behaved," Uncle Percy says.

Roxanne's satisfaction over the comment dies abruptly as her uncle adds, "Almost too well behaved. Are we sure you're really George's?"

"Percy!" Aunt Audrey says sharply.

But Roxanne's father chuckles. "Didn't know you knew what a joke was, Perce."

"I picked up on a few things over the years."

Roxanne stares silently at her feet, frowning.

"You okay, Rox?" her mum calls.

"Fine. I'm fine."

…

"Still sulking because you're adopted?" Freddy teases.

Roxanne scowls. "I'm not adopted! I'm a Weasley!" she snaps, aware that she sounds childish in spite of her fifteen years.

Freddy tugs gently at her braid. "It can't be helped. You haven't got a mischievous bone in your body," he says, clucking his tongue in faux pity. "You're a dud."

With a groan, Roxanne swats at her brother, but he dances just out of her reach. Freddy pokes out his tongue. "Missed me!"

She swats again, smacking his arm with a solid _thump._

"Ow!"

"I'll show you," she says stubbornly. "I'll show you all. I'll pull of a prank so epic that Dad will say they should have named me Freddy."

Freddy rolls his eyes and sits next to his sister. He leans his head on his shoulder, and she can feel his face contort into a grin. "And how do you plan to do that? Gonna Quidditch us to death? Ooh! Are you going to score all the Quaffles into your own House's goal? That would be a real laugh!"

"Shut up! I have a better idea."

Freddy raises his brows. "Oh yeah?"

"Aunt Hermione still has that Time-Turner," she says.

"And?"

"And I will turn back just a bit, and… I dunno. Make mischief slightly into the past. It's a work in progress, okay? I'm just winging it."

"So, how do you plan to get it from her? Aunt Hermione keeps it put up."

"That, dear brother, is where you come in."

Freddy gulps audibly. "Why me?"

"Because you're Fred Weasley, duh! Mischief is your middle name."

"Actually it's-"

"Shut up."

…

"This is a stupid idea," Freddy hisses.

Roxanne smirks. "Who's the adopted one now?" she teases. "When did you back down from an adventure?"

"When the adventure suddenly involved not only stealing from our aunt, but stealing from her office at the bloody Ministry!" Freddy says, incredulous. "I'm all for a good laugh, but not at the risk of Azkaban!"

"Keep your voice down," Roxanne urges. "Aunt Hermione won't have us sent to Azkaban, okay? She loves us."

Freddy doesn't look quite convinced, but he follows her along regardless, steadily muttering under his breath.

"Okay," Roxanne says, ducking at the corner. "Go."

She watches as Freddy approaches the door to their aunt's office. Her heart races as his hand raps against the door.

Maybe this is a stupid plan. Is it really worth it? Just for a few laughs? She's about to signal for her brother to abort the mission, but Freddy is already leading Aunt Hermione away from the office.

Roxanne takes a deep breath. "Now or never," she sighs, slipping into the office.

It isn't hard to find the Time-Turner. Aunt Hermione displays it with pride. The last surviving one after some mishap at the Ministry, long before Roxanne or even Victoire had been born.

Her hands are trembling as she plucks it from the display. With a sigh of relief, she ducks out of the office, tucking the Time-Turner quickly into her pocket.

"Roxy?" Uncle Bill calls.

"What are you doing here?"

He folds his arms over his chest. "I could ask you the same question."

"Freddy wanted me to come with him so he could talk to Aunt Hermione about something," she says carefully, offering her uncle her brightest smile.

"The goblins are using me as an ambassador with the Ministry," he sighs, and Roxanne notices how exhausted he looks. "It never ends."

"I, uh, I'd better find Freddy," Roxanne says.

"Is something bothering you?"

She shakes her head, a little too quickly. "No. I'm fine. More than fine. Absolutely fantastic, even!"

"You ramble when you're nervous."

"I'm not rambling," she says. "Why would I be rambling? That's just-"

He places a hand on her shoulder. "We'll talk tonight, okay, kiddo?"

"Yeah. Yeah, okay."

…

"What's in the bag?" Freddy asks.

Roxanne opens it, revealing a vast array of supplies from their father's joke shop.

"And what are you going to do with all of that?" he asks, brows raised.

"Work in progress."

He snorts. "Dad would have a plan."

"Yeah, well… I'm winging it," she says irritably.

Roxanne pulls the Time-Turner from her pocket and inhales deeply, holding it up. "Any idea how to work this thing?"

"How should I know?"

"Can't be that hard," she says, adjusting it. "I just need to go back a little ways… And then… Oh!"

"Roxanne?"

But Freddy disappears.

…

For a moment, Roxanne thinks that it hasn't worked. She's still in the same spot, her grandmother's house within view. But Freddy has vanished.

"Probably playing a joke," she groans. "Did James lend his stupid Invisibility Cloak, you-"

Her words are cut off as a tall boy with red hair appears, staring at her curiously.

"Un-"

But she stops herself, realizing that this Bill is far too young to be her uncle. He has to be her age, maybe older. His face is no longer scarred from a werewolf attack.

"Who are you?" he asks.

"R- Roxanne," she says, her head swimming as she tries to understand what's going on.

Time-Turners have a limit. Five hours, or else everyone would be busy meddling in the past.

"Do you live nearby?" he asks. "I've never seen you before."

"Nearby, yeah," she agrees. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen. I'll be in my last year at Hogwarts this year. Do you go there?"

She shakes her head. "It's really a long story."

"How could a yes or no question be a long story?" he chuckles.

"Oh, you have no idea."

…

Freddy waits. And waits. And waits.

Roxanne will return. He's certain of it.

An hour passes, then two.

"Bloody hell," he groans, throwing his hands into the air in exasperation. "How do I explain that I've lost my sister?"

…

"What do you mean lost?" Bill asks. "I thought you lived nearby."

Roxanne pinches the bridge of her nose. "Not lost physically. But… I sort of. I-"

She pulls out the Time-Turner.

"Blimey. I've only ever read about one of these," he says, eying it in fascination.

"It's broken. I should have gone back a few hours. But I'm back _years!_ "

He steps back, drawing his eyes from the little trinket to her. "Time travel is strictly monitored by the Ministry," he says. "Not just anyone can get one of these. Why would you tell me this?"

 _Because you're my favorite uncle. Because you're the only one who knows when I'm upset._

But she can't tell him that. "You have a very trustworthy face," she answers. "Bill-"

"I didn't tell you my name," he notes, frowning. "Do you know me in the future?"

…

"What do you mean Roxanne traveled in time?" his mum demands.

Freddy shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot. "We, um, we sort of…" He casts a quick, apologetic look at his aunt. "We sort of stole the Time-Turner from Aunt Hermione's office."

"You what?"

"Fred Weasley!"

"Brilliant!"

"George!"

"Right," his father says sheepishly, clearing his throat. "Brilliant, but very foolish."

"Nothing to worry about," Uncle Percy says. "Five hour limit. Roxanne will be back before you know it."

It's Aunt Hermione's turn to look sheepish. "I've been working on it," she admits. "Just curiosity, you see. I never meant to try it out to see if it would work."

"If what would work?" his mum asks.

"I wanted to know if the time reversal spell could be manipulated. If it could be made to go back further through time."

All eyes are on her. Freddy is grateful to not be the center of attention for once.

"But why would Roxanne do it?" Uncle Ron asks, and everyone turns to Freddy. "Fred or James, sure. But Roxy?"

"She took Uncle Percy's joke about not being dad's to heart. She wanted to prove that she could be a prankster."

…

"Will you help me?" Roxanne asks.

Bill frowns, shaking his head. "I've only read about them," he says. "It's not possible to go forward. At least, I don't think. You just have to let the loop play out."

Roxanne feels her stomach sink. Let the loop play out? She'll be stuck her! By the time she reaches her own time again, she'll be older than her parents.

Tears begin to flow from her eyes. She sniffles.

"Hey," Bill says, wrapping her in his arms.

He's as warm and reassuring as her Bill. Roxanne snuggles against him the way she has so many times when her uncle has comforted her.

"I'm going to be stuck here forever," she sniffs, burying her face in his chest.

He pats her back. "There, there," he says. "We'll figure something out, okay?"

"Thanks, Un- Thanks, Bill."

…

"What do we do?" Aunt Hermione asks. "I've spent years fooling with that thing to get it to work like this."

"We don't have years," Freddy says.

Uncle Bill purses his lips, scratching his chin in thought. His eyes glance at the calendar, and a flash of recognition flickers over his face. "Roxanne will be fine," he says firmly. "Just sit back and wait."

"But dinner is starting soon," Uncle Ron groans. "We can't start without Roxy. And we can't exactly tell Mum she's lost somewhere in time."

"How do you know she'll be fine?" Freddy demands.

His father turns to Uncle Bill, mirroring Freddy's curiosity.

…

"You're sure you'll be okay in the shed?" Bill asks, concerned.

"Dad used to take us camping," Roxanne assures him. "I've slept in worse conditions."

"I could sneak you up to my room. I'd sleep on the floor."

She shakes her head. "I'm not exactly easy to hide," she laughs, feeling a little better about the whole mess. At least she has Bill, even if he isn't her Bill. He's still just as amazing.

"Fair point," he agrees. "I'll sneak you some food when everyone's gone to bed."

He starts to walk out. "Bill?"

He turns.

"I have my reasons for trusting you, but why do you trust me?" Roxanne asks.

He tips his head to the side, studying her as though he hasn't really thought about this himself. "There's something familiar about you," he answers after several long moments. "I can't quite place it, but you feel like someone I need to take care of."

Roxanne smiles. "Oh."

…

"It's really a long story," Uncle Bill says.

"We have time," Uncle Ron says.

Uncle Bill scratches his chin again, shaking his head. "To be honest, I'm still piecing it together," he answers.

Freddy moves closer, afraid the adults will send him away while they discuss adult solutions to the situation. He sits beside his uncle. "Piecing what together?"

"It didn't really hit me until about two years ago, when Roxanne became a teenager," Uncle Bill explains. "She always looked so familiar."

"She looks a lot like me," Freddy's mum says.

Uncle Bill waves a dismissive hand. "More than that. I felt like I _knew_ her."

…

"Everyone's asleep," Bill says, placing a bowl of soup and a bit of bread on the table. "I hope you don't mind soup. My mum makes the best."

Roxanne smiles as she inhales the familiar aroma of chicken and onion. Her mouth waters. At least she can still have her grandmother's cooking. "It's perfect," she says, digging in.

"I grabbed this from my brother Percy's room," he says, placing a book on the table beside the bowl. "He always has his nose in a book. Pretty boring stuff, usually, but hey. This is actually helpful."

 _Uncle Percy hasn't changed a bit._

" _Time Travel and Its Theories,"_ she reads aloud, her mouth full of bread. She swallows, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry. Does it say anything about Time-Turners?"

Bill thumbs through the pages with pursed lips. "Quite a few chapters," he confirms. "As well as potions, although they're all complex. This one has to brew for exactly six months."

"Not an option."

"Definitely not," Bill agrees with a grin. "I told you the soup was the best, didn't I?"

"Reminds me of my grandmother's cooking," Roxanne says sadly, stirring the soup. "We were going to have a big family dinner at her place before this went wrong. We do it twice a week ever since my grandfather died."

"I'm sorry."

Roxanne looks at him, biting her lip. She remembers the way Uncle Bill had been the pillar of strength for everyone after Grandad Weasley died. He'd held everyone, wiped away everyone's tears, and he had only cried whenever everyone had gone to bed for the night.

Roxanne clears her throat, shaking her head. She can't think about that now. "Right. Chapters on Time-Turners," she says quickly.

"They're not designed specifically for going into the future."

"I like the word specifically," Roxanne says. "It makes it sound like there's an exception."

Bill grins at her, turning a page. "I bet you're a Ravenclaw, aren't you?" he chuckles.

"I am. Nearly a Hufflepuff," she explains.

"I was almost in Ravenclaw," he says, pointing to a passage. "Here we are. Time mechanisms, blah blah blah…. Certain charms can be placed on the Time-Turner, like these."

Roxanne's eyes scan the page, and she frowns. "I've never even heard of any of these," she sighs.

"I know this one," he says, grinning. "You don't learn it until after your OWLs. It's a tricky spell. But even it isn't a certainty."

…

"Do you remember when you were nine?" Uncle Bill asks.

Freddy's dad frowns. "Vaguely. It's been a few years," he says dryly. "Who the hell remembers that far back?"

Uncle Bill rolls his eyes. "People who witness exciting things."

"Exciting things like what?"

"Like discovering your brother had a girl in his bedroom."

"Oh."

…

"I thought you were too big to hide," Bill says as they creep up the stairs.

"Well, if you do this right, you won't actually have to hide me," Roxanne points out.

"You've got a point there," he says, pushing open his bedroom door. "But you can't travel through space, only time. So you'll end up in my room in the future if I do this right."

"I'm sure you won't mind," Roxanne says dryly, following him inside.

His bedroom is surprisingly untidy, and Roxanne decides that it's Aunt Fleur who keeps Shell Cottage so clean.

"Sorry about the mess," he chuckles.

"Least of my concerns," she assures him.

"You're still not going to tell me who you are, then?" he asks.

Roxanne bites her lip and shakes her head. She knows that just being here can alter history if she isn't careful. Giving away too much could be disastrous. "You'll find out," she says simply, handing him the Time-Turner. "One day."

Bill shrugs before accepting it. "Fair enough," he says before placing it on his desk.

He cracks his knuckles before lifting his wand. "Let's hope this works."

…

"What are you two talking about?" his mum asks, looking from her husband to her brother-in-law.

Neither seem to hear her. "And it never occurred to you?" Freddy's dad asks.

Uncle Bill shrugs. "I just assumed she made a lasting impression on you," he says. "Maybe you just really liked the name."

"That's where I got her name from," his dad admits, laughing. "I named my daughter after my daughter."

"Let me ask again. What the hell are you two talking about?" Angelina demands.

"It's a bit of a funny story, you see."

…

"There," Bill says at last.

Roxanne looks at it uncertainly. "Will it work?"

"I certain hope so. I've never had to use it in this way, so-"

The door opens, and two identical boys with red hair and matching grins walk in, their eyes fixed on Roxanne. It takes her several moments to comprehend what she's seeing. Her father, not even Hogwarts age, and his twin, the uncle she will never meet.

"Told you I heard something, Fred."

"I'm not giving you my chocolate stash," Fred says, frowning. "I never agreed!"

"You two should be in bed," Bill groans.

"Why have you got a girl in your room," George asks with a giggling emphasis on 'girl'.

Bill looks desperately at Roxanne, silently pleading with her to have an answer. She kneels down before the twins. "I'm Roxanne," she says. "And I'm a professional mischief maker. Your brother here is helping me pull off the greatest prank you can ever hope to see."

Their eyes widen.

"I wanna see!'

"What is it?"

"Are you going to do magic?"

"Of course she is, you prat!"

"Bill! George called me a pr-"

"Quiet, both of you," Bill sighs. "If you wake up Mum and Dad, there won't be a great prank. Got it?"

"Got it."

Bill grabs the Time-Turner and offers it to Roxanne. He wraps one arm around her in a quick hug. "Good luck," he whispers.

Roxanne takes a deep breath.

…

"I still don't know what the great prank was," Freddy's dad admits.

Uncle Bill groans. "You are so thick," he says with a roll of his eyes. "Her great prank wasn't for us back then. It was for-"

"Us now. Oh, she is brilliant," Freddy's dad says proudly, clapping his hands together.

"Now, if only we knew if it-"

"Ta-da!" Roxanne cries, bursting through the door of the kitchen.

Freddy is the first to reach his sister. He hugs her tightly, relief washing over him. "You did it!"

"You scared us half to death," their mother cries, catching her in a hug and holding her tightly.

"Oh, but it was brilliant," their dad says, kissing Roxanne's forehead. "Something Fred and I would never have even dreamed of trying!"

"But you also stole your aunt's property and used highly supervised magic without anyone's knowledge. So, you're grounded until the summer," their mum adds.

Roxanne giggles, bumping her knuckles against Freddy's. "Worth it."

* * *

 **Written For:**

 **Movie Plot Competition (A person has a mishap with a time turner and ends up either lost in the future or lost in the past and has to enlist in the help of another character to find a way to get back to their own time.)**

 **A-Z AU: Time travel AU**


End file.
